The Gig
by Max Augestine
Summary: Sam, Abigail and Sebastian are on their way to their first gig! The gig seems to go well, but trouble rises when Pam has to drive the three of them home in the dark... Drunk.
1. Chapter 1

We sat, Abigail, Sebastian and I on the bus with our instruments, the synthesizer, guitar and drum set, packed neatly in the carry on space under the bus seats. The trip was three hours into Zuzu City, and 30 minutes to try and find the little stage behind a large building where we would play. Abigail and Sebastian sat in seats facing each other and I was sitting in the row adjacent to theirs, my feet up on the worn leather seats and my eyes cast to the scenery passing by the window.

I had invited a few people to come along and see our show, but everyone seemed busy or didn't seem to care. This was a big deal for us. This is our first gig! We were starting to get recognition for our band, from this little Pelican Town, and no one seemed to come or care!

I sighed and crossed my arms, laying my head against the seat. Sebastian seemed to be mildly interested in what Abigail was saying as he cracked open a window and lit a cigarette. Abigail kicked up her feet so she sat with one knee to her chest and one leg stretched out, her foot resting on the floor. She pulled out a music player and put in her earbuds, starting to listen to her music.

Pam continued to drive, gritting her teeth softly as she stared at the long road around the mountains ahead. She must have been cranky without a drink in her, but she knew better than to drink and drive, so she sucked it up, promising herself a Pale Ale as soon as she got home.

It seemed we were all a bit uncomfortable today. Sebastian had reached his second cigarette by now and flicked the butt of the old one out the window, Abigail's music was turned up so the sound of the bus motor couldn't reach her, and I had pulled out my handheld game system. We did have three hours of sitting to do, and I hope my little Junimo Cart game device doesn't run out of battery soon.

I grumbled tautly when the "GAME OVER" popped up on the screen again and set it down next to me. The scenery outside had changed from green hills to flat suburbs without me realizing, and it was starting to get dark.

"We're approaching Zuzu City." Pam huffed, her eyes grown tired from the three hour drive. I stood up and stretched, popping my back and took my seat again on the edge, facing Sebastian and Abigail.

Sebastian was working on his fifth cigarette by now, and I reached over to wave my face in front of Abigail. She blinked her eyes before turning the music down and taking out one ear bud.

"We're here." I said, smirking softly at the both of them. Sebastian blinked and craned his neck to see over the back of the seats and to the front of the bus. Abigail turned around completely and sat on her knees, looking at the city in amazement.

It had been a while since we had seen a city. I had come from Zuzu City, actually, and Abigail, to my knowledge, has never been in a big time city. I don't know about Sebastian; I just know every now and then he gets on his motorcycle and rides out somewhere. Nonetheless, seeing Zuzu was breathtaking.

Though the sky had just began to turn a dusty red, the lights of the buildings made the city illuminate. Cars drove past us to get into the trailer parks and the small homes on the edge of the city, or to the small farms they placed outside the homes. People started to appear on the streets, either bringing in groceries for a late dinner or to call in kids from playing in the dark.

Pam pulled a map out and laid it across the wheel when we reached a stop light, reading over where she had marked to find the back-alley concert. She mumbled and grumbled, continuing to drive after a few cars honked to get her moving. When some people passed her, she was the first to open the window and let loose with an angry bird.

Abigail had moved from her seat and was at the front, looking at awe at the city and the people. They dressed a little different from us, that was for sure. Some wore short dresses, some wore fur, gold jewelry, or gelled their hair. Others looked a lot like Shane; beat up and tired with a 5 o'clock shadow with patches of unshaven stubble.

"Oh, wow, guys!" Abigail exclaimed, looking around. Sebastian sighed, visibly uncomfortable, as he shifted and reached for another cigarette. I nudged him gently. "You'd smoke a whole pack if I let you have one more." I reminded. "Save it for after the gig."

"... Yeah, okay…" He replied, putting the pack in his black hoodie.

"Pam, how much longer until we get there? People could have gathered by now!" She exclaimed, her fingers twitching and rubbing against each other. Pam flipped off another car and pushed the map off the steering wheel. "We're almost there. Five more minuets."

Abigail sat behind the red drums, old drumsticks in either hand. She tested a few symbols, beat a few of the drums, and looked at us for the go-ahead. Sebastian took a breath and placed his fingers over a few keys, curling them for a second into a stressed fist, then relaxed them with a heavy sigh. He looked up at me.

I swallowed hard and adjusted the guitar in my hands, shifting it so the strap sat comfortably. There was a small crowd of complete strangers out there, most of them either young and dressed darkly or young adults with 30 minutes on their hands to listen to a bunch of fresh musicians.

I had dreamed of being on a brightly lit stage as big as my house, the smoke machines covering the stage and the first rows of a two-floor stadium as we rose on platforms. Abigail's drumsticks were golden and raised in a cross in the air, a bright light shining on her as a man announced her. Then Sebastian would get a spotlight to himself, standing still behind a top-line keyboard and synthesizer, his fingers stretched out to press the keys and adjust the knobs at any second. Then, I would get a spotlight.

The crowd would be cheering for us, chanting our names as I held the neck tightly, the electric red guitar shining under the bright light. Girls would be screaming for me to see them, to dedicate a song Abigail would have written to them, and to let them backstage into our black tour bus for drinks and pizza.

I can see myself, boldly yelling out that we are there in XXXX city for them, and that we have a song dedicated to all the beautiful women and handsome men in the crowd that make the large stadium and XXXX city great.

Abigail would hit her sticks three times, pause for a beat, then the show would begin.

This is not like in my dreams, but it was good enough.

I nodded at them and looked at the crowd. "Hi, everyone. We're from Pelican Town… Er… And we're called "The Pelicans"." I took a breath, Everyone in the crowd leaned in to make sure they heard, and everyone got ready to play the first note.

"Here we go…"


	2. Chapter 2

After the crowd thinned and some of our cassette tapes were bought, we started packing. Abigail was grinning ear to ear, still on her high from drumming, humming softly to one of her favorite songs we played. Sebastian had a small smile on his face when he loaded the synthesizer into the undercarriage of the bus, and I was grinning ear to ear, proud that from this gig we sold 12 cassette tapes, bringing in a profit of 120g.

Once everything was loaded, we huddled around in a small group. "Okay, 120g is amazing for our first gig! We have to split the profits evenly-"

"So 40g each?" Abigail responded.

"No, we have to include Pam, she drove us here and has stayed here with us. We have to let her know we appreciate that." I replied.

"So… 25% each?" Sebastian replied, lighting a celebratory cigarette.

"Everyone gets 30g then." Abigail replied.

"Yeah. That sounds fair, right?"

"Yeah." They agreed. We stuck the few remaining cassette tapes in a small bag and threw it in with our equipment. It was already 8:45 by the time we were ready to go, and we had a 3 and a half hour trip back home, so it was going to be around 11:30 when we even get into Stardew Valley, let alone midnight when we finally get into Pelican Town.

Abigail yawned softly, stretching her back. "C'mon, let's hit the road. I want to sleep in my bed tonight." She said, walking to the door of the bus and stepping in. I followed, and paused when I noticed Pam wasn't in the driver's seat.

"Where's Pam?" I asked. Abigail looked back at me. "She isn't up there?"

"Nope." I replied.

Abigail searched the back of the bus, looking for Pam to see if she fell asleep on the seats in the back. I searched near the front, not seeing any trace of her.

"I can't find her back here." Abigail replied, popping her head up and over the seats.

"Same up here." I replied, getting off the bus. Sebastian was smoking his cigarette, looking at us with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

"Have you seen Pam?" I asked, stepping out onto the grass. Abigail followed down and sat on the bottom two steps.

"I think she went to the bathroom or something." He replied. "That, or to get us something to eat for dinner." He replied, taking a long drag.

"Hrm. Alright, then we wait." I said, shoving my hands in my pockets and leaning my back against the side of the bus. Sebastian continued to smoke, his right hand holding the little stick and his left wrapped around his stomach.

"Seriously, where is Pam!?" Abigail huffed, rubbing her arms up and down. "It's been 20 minutes, and I'm freezing!"

"If you're cold, go sit in the bus." Sebastian replied, tapping his foot softly.

"It's colder in there!" She complained, frowning.

I shoved the Junimo Jump game in my pocket. "Should we go looking? It's a little scary looking out here, maybe she got hurt."

"Are you saying Pam got jumped?"

"Well… Yeah, maybe…"

"I doubt that. She's the toughest person in Pelican Town, even more so when she doesn't have any beer in her."

We paused.

"Did she go into a bar?" Abigail replied.

We paused in thought, internally fighting with reason and doubt. She shouldn't have gone, and she knew that she was driving young adults. The should know better than to drink and drive! But then again, it was Pam, and she is an alcoholic…

"What are you all waiting outside for?" Pam huffed, shoving herself up the steps past Abigail and into the driver's seat. "We got to go!"

"Where the hell were you!?" Abigail griped, getting up beside her.

"I was getting something to eat and lost track of time!" She snapped back. "Now go sit down, it's a long drive home."

Abigail was curled up in the back of the bus, Sebastian sitting on the opposite row of seats, and I with Sebastian. We sat in silence, Sebastian out of cigarettes, Abigail's music player out of battery, and me with no game system battery power. Pam was driving fast and was swerving around cars, determined to get home for that Pale Ale.

"Guys…" Abigail said softly, keeping her voice down so Pam wouldn't hear. "I think Pam went to a bar."

We all sat in silence, quiet. She didn't smell any stronger of beer than her usual self when I walked past her, and she was very angry, like she always was with withdrawal. If she had been drinking, she would have been happier and more calm. Maybe even be a better driver…

"What makes you say that?" Sebastian asked.

"Well… She really stunk of beer, like, more than usual when she talks. Plus her eyes are a little red…"

"That's not good." He mumbled.

"What can we even do about it? We have no phone, and if we do stop somewhere to call, who will pick us up? Sebastian is the only one with a vehicle, and it's a motorcycle." I sighed.

"Doesn't the farmer have a way to get to us?" He asked.

"She has one horse." She hissed.

"Damn…"

We sat quietly, reaching the edge of Stardew Valley and into the mountains. We grabbed onto the seats and ledges by the windows as Pam swerved around the corners at top speed, not slowing down. We were tossed around a little with each turn, and we were starting to Panic.

Sebastian was starting to visibly shake, Abigail was tearing up, and my knuckles were turning white.

"PAM! Slow down!" I yelled. She didn't reply, a "S" road sign coming ahead, then a slow down sign.

"PAM!" We headed up to the first curve, and Pam went to turn the wheel.

"PAM! STOP!" She lost control of the bus, the bus hitting the guard rail.

"PAM!"


	3. Chapter 3

…

…

…

...lp

…

…

H...elp…

…

…

Help…

Help…

HELP…

HELP!

There was the gentle sound of a nighttime breeze rustling through the ever-green trees that towered above me. The stars above the cloak of dark green swirled and contorted around a large white orb… The moon, I suppose.

Forest animals - deer, squirrels, birds, frogs - seemed to gather around us, cocking their heads and making low noises at what surrounded me. My head hurt like hell, and I couldn't feel from my chest down. My fingers wanted to move, but every time I thought of bending a muscle pain shot up my arm and disappeared somewhere in my chest.

Are my fingers broken?

I drew a shaky breath, finding it hard to breathe as I turned my head to the right. My right hand… It was bent in an awkward way. Some fingers I couldn't even move, and one was broken, the bone sticking through the knuckle.

"Urgh…" I turned my head to look down at my torso and legs. Why can't I move?

My chest was pinned down by a large log that must have fallen on me, and I couldn't see past it. I took a breath and laid my head down, trying to think.

I couldn't seem to remember anything that happened. I was at a gig… And then… I'm here, pinned under a tree with a broken hand. What the hell happened?

I don't know… My mind is so foggy, and I can't breathe. It's so difficult to breathe, that I feel sick and light-headed. Why can't I breathe? Why can't I move? What happened?

Sleepy… So sleepy…

-

"S-Sam?"

I cracked my eyes open, blinking away any dust that collected near my eyes and on my eyelashes. It was sunny out, the birds chirping and singing, and the animals from before gone.

"Sam, hey, wake up… You have to… Wake up!"

"A-Abigail?" I croaked, turning my head to the voice.

"No, don't move… You shouldn't move…" She said gently. "Sam… What do you… remember?"

Her voice sounded strained and deprived, like she was talking with a mouth full of water. Which, when I got a look at her, wasn't wrong. Blood was drooling down from her lips and nose, her right eye black and swollen so much it closed. Part of her right ear was missing and cut up, a shard of glass still in it. Her neck was bruised and the rest of her body was hunched over, cradling her left arm like a baby.

"Driving fast… We were driving fast… And Pam was Drunk so we… We…" I paused, remembering. Pam was driving too fast from being drunk and we flew over the side of the mountain. I remember screaming at Pam to stop, or slow down, but then I was flying in the air, tossed around the bus. The glass shaped and the bus bent, throwing myself out of it 60 feet in the air.

"Abigail… Where is… Sebastian… And Pam?"

"Sam… Pam is… Alive… and well. She had a… seat belt and an… airbag… But Sebastian… He…" She turned her head to cough out some blood, then looked at me painfully. She didn't have to say anymore.

I coughed to try and breathe.

"Abigail… We need help."

"I know, Pam called. They will be here in a hour or two…" She said.

I coughed up some more. "Our parents must be worried…"

"They'll be happy to see us."

"But what about Robin and Demetrius? Sebastian isn't coming home…"

She swallowed, blinking away a few tears. "It'll be okay…"

"Would it really?"

"Yes… I think it will be…"


	4. Prolouge

I stood in the graveyard with Abigail, My family, her family, and Sebastian's, staring over at the grey rock with Sebastian's name on it. It has been 7 years since we were in that accident, and a lot has happened.

When we were rescued, we were all taken to the hospital. I was put in intensive care in critical condition, Abigail was put in Intensive care for a short while before being put in the holding ward to heal. Pam was tested and had a Blood-Alcohol-Content of .09, and was arrested for one count of manslaughter and two counts of attempted manslaughter, as well as driving under the influence and illegal consumption of alcohol.

I was left with a right hand that can barely move, let alone play guitar, and I lost feeling in my entire left leg, making me walk on crutches for the rest of my life. As soon as our band took off, we were put out of the game. It hurt to think about losing the band, but at the same time, it hurt worse to lose your best friend and have to be the one to say a few words at his funeral.

Robin heard about the accident first on a Breaking News report, and was heartbroken. She was the only one who could carve the grave, and she refused to. No one could blame her, so we had the farmer mine up the best rock and use that as a tombstone.

During the time between the funeral and now, my dad came back from the war, and he was not the same. Loud noises made him freak out, and he got scared easily, not like the brave, strong dad I had before. When he would look at me, he felt ashamed. I don't have any proof, but I know it. He was upset that while he was gone I got this hurt.

After dad came back, I fell in love with Penny. She was struggling to keep the trailer in OK shape, and I helped out the best I could at any time I was available. We started to connect, and as of Winter 10, we would have been married 3 years with our second child.

There are a lot of little things that happened too, like the Farmer getting married to Elliot, and Mayor Lewis and Marnie started getting serious with their affairs. They never married, but they are just as happy with each other as if they were.

Looking over Sebastian's polished stone, I can now see how much he meant to everyone, and even after all these years, we all still miss him. I took a breath and laid a flower at his grave, taking a step back and holding onto Penny's hand.

"The Pelicans needed everyone to be a band…" I said. Penny squeezed my hand. "But… I would be of no use now with this hand. You were a great musician… And an amazing friend…" I was breaking down now, trying to hold my sobbing.

"We miss you."


End file.
